The recent launch of ChatGPT, a chatbot created by Open AI for public use, has underlined the growing reach of digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) in working life. Like most technological revolutions that affect the workplace, chatbots can potentially create winners and losers and will affect both blue-collar and white-collar workers.
ChatGPT is a natural language processing (NLP) tool that allows users to interact with the GPT-3 model using natural language. The model is trained on a great amount of data, which allows it to generate human-like responses to a wide variety of inputs.
This type of AI can greatly benefit the productivity of skilled workers. Chatbots offer the possibility to automate(使自动化) boring and time-consuming tasks, such as writing standardized reports, meeting minutes and emails. Workers could therefore be freed to focus on more important and creative tasks. A chatbot virtual personal assistant could guide skilled workers through different projects or production processes. It can also generate original content and ideas, and potentially help to research and develop new products and services.
But tools such as ChatGPT present a real risk of skilled and semi-skilled workers losing their jobs. For example, chatbots can be developed to train employees in an organization, resulting in the unemployment of human trainers.
Previous waves of technological change have created both winners and losers. Workers who are quicker to adjust to technological change will win by increasingly taking on tasks complementary (互补的) to AI while giving up automated ones.
